Now if it were needful that so excellent a king and servant of God should be in a manner thus overwhelmed with sorrows, that he might be the better fitted and provoked to desire Gods favour, and to sigh and groan unto him, being at the last cast, and almost swallowed up of the lower hells:let us not wonder if sometimes he leaves us perplexed with fear and anguish, and defers that comfort long which we desire. 1Object. But some may think it strange that God forthwith called back his sentence, as if he repented himself of that which was gone out of his lips: for there is nothing less agreeable to his nature then to be changeable. Ans. I answer, Hezekias was not adjudged to death in the decree and counsel of God: but his meaning herein was to try and examine the faith of his servant. Wherefore in this denunciation there must be a condition supplied;2 for otherwise Hezekias could never have bowed the Lord, nor disannulled his irrevocable decree neither by his prayers nor tears. But the Lord threatened him as he did Abimeleck king of Gerar for taking Sarah, Abrams wife, Gen. 20.3. And as Jonah did the Ninevites, Jonah 1.2. & 3.4. But it will be further objected, Object. 3that it is contrary to Gods nature to speak one thing & think another: for thus his words shall lose their authority, because men will esteem of his promises and threatenings as things of little weight. Ans. But we must judge of the form of these words, as of the sense of those which I have already expounded. GOD gave sentence of death upon Hezekias, because he would not that he should die: neither had it been needful nor profitable to have sent him this message, had not the remedy been near at hand. Besides, as it was the meaning of God to humble his servant with fear and astonishment, that by a voluntary condemning of himself he might by prayers and tears escape this chastisement: so also it was no less his purpose to bring him low by this sharp and biting speech, Thou shalt die, to the end he might require life, and to have it restored as to him that was now shut up as it were in his sepulchre. The Prophet supplied an infolded condition therefore, which Hezekias easily espied, although he perceived it not at the first. We can not conclude then that God used any dissimulation here, seeing he fits his speech to the capacity and reach of the person to whom he speaks:
Now if it were needfull that so excellent a king and seruant of God should be in a manner thus ouerwhelmed with sorrowes, that he might be the better fitted and prouoked to desire Gods fauour, and to sigh and grone vnto him, being at the last cast, and almost swallowed vp of the lower hells:let vs not wonder if sometimes he leaues vs perplexed with feare and anguish, and deferres that comfort long which we desire. 1Obiect. But some may thinke it strange that God forthwith called back his sentence, as if he repented himselfe of that which was gone out of his lips: for there is nothing lesse agreeable to his nature then to be changeable. Ans. I answere, Hezekias was not adiudged to death in the decree and counsell of God: but his meaning herein was to trie and examin the faith of his seruant. Wherefore in this denunciation there must be a condition supplied;2 for otherwise Hezekias could neuer haue bowed the Lord, nor disanulled his irreuocable decree neither by his prayers nor teares. But the Lord threatned him as he did Abimeleck king of Gerar for taking Sarah, Abrams wife, Gen. 20.3. And as Ionas did the Nineuits, Ionas 1.2. & 3.4. But it will be further obiected, Obiect. 3that it is contrarie to Gods nature to speake one thing & thinke another: for thus his words shall lose their authoritie, because men will esteeme of his promises and threatnings as things of little weight. Ans. But wee must iudge of the forme of these words, as of the sense of those which I haue alreadie expounded. GOD gaue sentēce of death vpō Hezekias, because he would not that he should die: neither had it been needfull nor profitable to haue sent him this message, had not the remedie been neere at hand. Besides, as it was the meaning of God to humble his seruant with feare and astonishment, that by a voluntarie condemning of himselfe he might by prayers and teares escape this chastisement: so also it was no lesse his purpose to bring him low by this sharp and biting speech, Thou shalt die, to the end he might require life, and to haue it restored as to him that was now shut vp as it were in his sepulchre. The Prophet supplied an infolded condition therefore, which Hezekias easily espied, although he perceiued it not at the first. We can not conclude then that God vsed any dissimulation here, seeing he fits his speech to the capacitie and reach of the person to whom he speakes:
- 1First objection.First obiection.
- 2A condition must be supplied in the denunciation.A condition must be supplied in the denuntiatiō.
- 3Second objection.Second obiection.
